Merry Little Christmas
by happynfluffy
Summary: Just a little Christmas gift giving story :) Has some angst but ends with fluff.


It was a cold evening out on Christmas Eve and Emma was sitting in the window seat. She had a light blanket on her lap and a steaming mug of cocoa in her hands. She was enjoying the quiet moment. The window fogged up with her breath and she instinctively reached up and drew a heart in the condensation, secretly smiling to herself. She wished that Killian were with her in this moment.

Both Gold and the Snow Queen had been defeated. Storybrooke was finally safe from the latest threats and it was just in time for the holidays. Everyone was joyous and ready to celebrate. Everyone except Killian. He had been gracious and grateful to Emma and her family for all they had done to get his heart back, but he had been distant and wary around everyone. He still felt like he had screwed up his chances of being a good man and he felt guilty for all the things Gold had made him do while he had his heart.

It was in the middle of the Christmas Eve brunch when she noticed him slip out the back door of Granny's. He was just rounding the corner to the front when she caught up with him.

"Hey" she said softly.

"Swan" he smiled in greeting.

She looked into his eyes as she grabbed his hand, "You're not staying?"

A momentary look of guilt crossed his face, "I just needed some air." He told her and looked back at her with regret and remorse shining in in his eyes.

"Are you coming to dinner at the loft?" she asked.

He sighed. "I don't know, love. I think I should let you be with your family tonight. I will see you tomorrow?"

She struggled to hold back the urge to beg him to come. It pained her to see him in so much turmoil. "Sure" she said with a small kiss to his cheek. She squeezed his hand and let him go, watching as he rounded the corner to the docks.

"Emma?" he father's voice brought her back to the present.

"Hmm?"

"I asked if you needed a refill. Everything ok?" David asked with a frown furrowing his brow.

She looked down at her almost full mug and then back up to her father, "Yeah Dad, everything is fine." She smiled at her father and he nodded and went back to the couch to snuggle with her mother.

Emma looked back out at the street through the heart she had drawn on the window. She heard singing faintly outside and smiled when she saw some of the town's residents singing carols. As she was watching them, she noticed a lone figure half hidden in the dark. She could not really see him but she knew it was him all the same. She watched him for a moment. The carolers moved off and she watched as he looked towards the loft then turned and went back towards the docks again.

Emma thought for a moment and then made her decision. She got up from her position by the window and then placed her mug in the sink. She went up to her room and rummaged in a drawer. After she found what she was looking for she put on some warmer clothes and went back downstairs. Her parents looked up from the couch.

"Mom, Dad, I am going to go out for a little while. Don't wait up for me." She said. Her parents just nodded and she headed out the door. She missed the look they gave each other and the smile her mother made as she glanced at the heart in the steam on the window.

Emma walked towards the docks. It was a little chilly but the air was crisp and clean smelling. The snow was lightly falling and she loved the sound of it crunching under her boots as she walked. The Christmas lights in the town gave it a festive air even though it was very quiet. She did not know exactly where to look for him at the docks but she knew she would find him. She was doing her second lap when she slowed because she thought she had heard a noise.

At first it sounded like someone was playing music but as she neared the location, she could tell it was someone singing. As it became clearer, she recognized the timber and the lilt of the voice as his. She came as near as she could without alerting him to her presence.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas.

Let your heart be light

From now on, our troubles will be out of sight.

His voice was beautiful and listening to him sing the hauntingly familiar tune made her feel like she loved him even more. As he continued to sing, she noticed that he was looking at something in his hand. As he came nearer to the end of the song, he put the object back in his coat pocket and shook his head. He sang the last line, And have yourself a merry little Christmas now.

He sighed and then all was quiet again. Emma stood for a moment longer, hand finding the object she concealed in her pocket. She cleared her throat as she moved toward him. He swung around to face her in surprise.

"Emma" he gasped, "What are you doing out in the cold? How long were you there?"

"I came to find you and long enough to hear that you have a beautiful singing voice." She replied.

He blushed and scratched behind his ear. "I thought you would be with your family on this momentous holiday in your realm" he said without looking at her.

Emma stepped up to him and put her hands on his chest. She waited until he was looking at her. "I was but someone was missing." She smiled at him.

"You deserve better Emma" he said as his hand came to rest on her waist. "You deserve someone who is a good man. Who is not a villain that makes bad decisions and puts the people he loves in danger. Who loses his way and struggles with the darkness."

Emma just smiled at him for a moment and searched his eyes. She saw the pain and the longing in them but she also saw his love shining through. She had never known what it felt like to be loved so much before he had come into her life. He had always been there for her and she was going to be there for him now.

"Killian, do you know what I see when I look at you?" she asked.

He shook his head and bit his lip in trepidation.

She placed a hand on his cheek. "I see the most honourable man I have ever met. I see someone who never gave up on me even when I gave him every reason in the book. I see a man who cared about me so much that he was able to transcend a missing heart to reach out to me and support me. Most importantly, I see the man that I fell in love with so hard that I am in pain because he is hurting. I love you, Killian and you deserve to be happy and let the past go. I have finally accepted who I am, both good and bad and I will be here for you until you do as well."

A single tear traced down his cheek and she wiped it away with her thumb. "Did you just…?" he asked.

She nodded. "I love you."

"Emma" he whispered and closed his eyes for a moment.

"I have something for you" she said as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small wrapped box with a red ribbon on it. She opened his hand and placed it in his palm.

"I thought the gift giving was for tomorrow, love" he said.

"Well it is almost tomorrow and I think you should have it now." She said as she pulled him to a bench. She helped him with the ribbon and the paper. He opened the box and smiled. He pulled out a beautiful silver compass. As he inspected it, he noticed that there was an inscription. He read,

Killian,

So you can always find your way home.

All my love,

Emma

He sniffled a little and looked at Emma. She smiled, "It is enchanted. I had Tinkerbell put a spell on it so that no one can steal it and it always points you in the right direction. If you ever have doubts about where you should be, this compass will lead the way."

Killian moved the compass around and noticed that no matter which way he turned it, the needle always pointed at Emma. He chuckled a little and his heart felt lighter. "It points to you darling" he said with awe.

"I will always remind you that you are loved and cherished, Killian. Your home is with me, no matter what you may doubt, never doubt that." She leaned over and kissed him. The kiss was slow and gentle and she could taste the salt of his tears. They broke the kiss and leaned their foreheads against each other.

After a moment, Killian cleared his throat. "I have something for you as well" he told her. He reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out a red box with a white ribbon on it. Emma took it from him and proceeded to open it.

Inside was a necklace. A golden chain held a ruby pendant in the shape of a heart. The necklace was stunning and she puffed out a breath of air. Killian grabbed her hand and rubbed his thumb on her palm.

"I asked about all the decorations in the town after that holiday where there was the large bird to eat. Ruby was very helpful in filling me in on the traditions of this particular holiday. I did not feel very excited given the circumstances."

"Killian-" she started to interrupt but he shushed he with a finger on her lips.

"Last week, before my heart was returned, I was walking along when I felt a need to stop in front of this establishment in town. The necklace was there. When I saw it, all I could think of was that even though the crocodile literally held my heart, it would never belong to him as someone else already owned it. Emma, I hope that this reminds you that I will always love you and that I have given you my heart for all eternity."

It was Emma's turn to hold back tears. She took the necklace and placed it around her neck. It rested perfectly against her skin and she knew it was only imaginary but she thought she could feel warmth and love coming from it. She moved to hug Killian and he held onto her tightly.

"Come home with me." She said against his neck.

"Swan" he started to argue.

She pulled back and shook her head, "No more. You belong with us. It is Christmas and I want to wake up next to the person I love and have breakfast next to him and have the kind of Christmas that I never got as a kid."

He laughed and for the first time in weeks, his eyes shone brightly. "What about your father, love?"

She grumbled and then said, "I am a grown woman and he will get over it. Besides, I think he has missed you almost as much as I have."

He rose up and pulled her into a standing position. "Lead the way Swan" he said as he gave a bow and then offered his arm.

Once they got back to the loft, they tried to be as quiet as possible because Snow and David had fallen asleep on the couch. They crept up to Emma's room. Emma gave him some sleep pants and a t-shirt borrowed from David and they both climbed into bed, snuggling against each other. They were asleep in mere minutes as they finally felt happy and relaxed after the weeks of drama.

Downstairs, Snow whispered to David, "He is finally home."

David smiled at his wife. "Our family is whole again. Merry Christmas, honey." He said as he kissed her forehead and closed his eyes.


End file.
